Couples Having Two Weddings Must Be Crazy

Well, guess the Great Recession can't get engaged couples down! The economy doesn't seem to be stopping plenty of almost-weds from planning not just one very involved, possibly pricey wedding ... but two! Yes, having more than one wedding is now a growing trend, according to The Wall Street Journal.

But let's not misunderstand here. This isn't just about the 1 percent or princess/prince-y brides and grooms wanting to throw as much money around for their Big Day as they can because they can. Couples are choosing to walk down the aisle more than once for a whole bunch of different and very personal reasons ...

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The WSJ explains that couples are opting to have two full weddings (with full ceremonies and two receptions) due to religious differences (the groom's family wants a traditional Catholic ceremony in the church while the bride was dreaming of a casual beach affair), geographic challenges (the bride's huuuge family lives in California, the groom and his smaller family live in rural Vermont), differing family expectations (oh boy, do I know about this one!), etc.

Apparently the way it works is that each family assumes responsibility for one event (including much of the planning and cost), as the intention is supposed to be to alleviate stress and fulfill both sides' wishes.

As well and good as that sounds on paper, I'm not so sure I just know I personally would want to pull my hair out if faced with a "double" or, as some couples call it, "split" wedding. Maaaaybe there could have been a way doing something like that would have actually been smart ... saved us money ... given everyone what they wanted? But then again, nah! In our case, my fiance and I had to make a decision that worked best for us, then stick to it -- or else turn into total doormats endlessly trying to please way too many people. Ughh. Double wedding? Try double nightmare!

To be fair, though, I could see how it could be a great route for some couples whose families really do want to take on a lot. For instance, by going with a second reception organized by her MIL -- who wanted to invite her huuuge extended family to a party in honor of my friend and her new husband -- a friend of mine was able to keep her first wedding reception much more intimate. In that case, I could see why two weddings worked as a stress reliever instead of maker. But man, talk about hit or miss!